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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · stock · vault · rest · bay · can · fine · nail

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rest — a break
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fine — all right
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stock — shares
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com